FIELD WORK
In the summer of 2025, the first of three planned sampling campaigns was conducted in the southern part of Isfjorden, between Colesbukta and Adventfjorden. During dives carried out in collaboration with the IOPAN Scientific Diving Team, small benthic organisms such as bryozoans (Atlas of Arctic Bryozoa), Serpulidae polychaetes, and barnacles were collected, along with seawater samples. The underwater work covered various depths (approximately 6 and 12 m) and habitat types (e.g., kelp forests), allowing for greater spatial variability in environmental parameters and a better understanding of their influence on element concentrations in the skeletons of calcifying organisms.
The next two field campaigns are planned for the following years. Systematic studies will allow us to determine whether the composition of carbonate skeletons changes over time along with processes occurring in Arctic fjords, and will also provide a better understanding of the impact of environmental and climate changes on the functioning of marine ecosystems, as well as the adaptive mechanisms of biomineralizing organisms.
